A Simple and Effective Synthesis of 3- and 4-((Phenylcarbamoyl)oxy)benzoic Acids

Phenserine, posiphen, tolserine and cymserine and its derivatives are experimental Alzheimer’s disease drugs that contain a phenyl phenylcarbamate moiety that is responsible for their anti-Alzheimer activities. We have developed a simple (3 steps) and effective (overall yields 76–90%) method for preparing 3- and 4-((phenylcarbamoyl)oxy)benzoic acids which can be reacted with amines to produce phenyl phenylcarbamate moiety containing amides as new potential anti-Alzheimer disease drugs. The synthesized carboxylic acids are thus important building blocks with potential use in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery.